HEALTHY START FOR BROODMARE AND FOAL

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Deworm your broodmare during the last month of gestation to reduce parasite burdens and decrease the number of eggs to which the foal may be exposed. Most currently available dewormers are safe for pregnant mares. Some veterinarians recommend deworming one or two days after foaling to reduce the foal's risk of contracting roundworms or small stomach worms.

Gestation and Birthing

Normal gestational length-calculated from the last day the mare stood for breeding-ranges from 320 to 350 days. You'll find accurate breeding records very useful for predicting foaling times, allowing you to keep an eye on your mare during the days that foaling is expected.

Prolonged gestation (greater than 350 days) doesn't necessarily indicate an abnormality, especially if the mare has no history of exposure to infected tall fescue grass. Prolonged gestation may occur normally in mares bred early in the year, in those carrying colts, and in those that are undernourished during the second half of gestation.

Late-term foals may be examined using ultrasound. Your veterinarian may want to examine the placenta and determine the fetal heart rate, which can be an indicator of fetal stress.

It is difficult to predict foaling times based on udder development, appearance of udder secretions, and relaxation of the tail head and other pelvic ligaments. However, frequent examination may allow a reasonable guess as to when foaling is imminent. Usually, the mare's udder will not appear to enlarge until three to 30 days before foaling. Maiden mares may not develop an enlarged udder until one to two days before foaling.

Normal colostrum ranges from honey-like to thick and yellowish. As foaling approaches, some mares may leak colostrum and it may accumulate on the teat ends (waxing). If the mare leaks enough, you can milk her periodically before foaling, freeze the colostrum, and give it to the foal after birth.

Water hardness tests and some tests specifically made for use in mares may be used to predict when mares will foal. These tests measure colostral concentration of calcium, which increases as the mare approaches her foaling date. However, these tests are more useful to predict when a mare will not foal, rather than when she definitely will. Several electronic devices are also available that set off a remote alarm when the foal passes through the birth canal.

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